Bound by Duty

by Valerie Hansen

  What drew her attention back to Linc was not his words or actions; it was the lack of either. Instead of continuing to eat, he had stopped and was staring across the table at her. There was the tender look again. She wasn’t imagining it. She couldn’t be. He wasn’t smiling. He wasn’t frowning. But his concentration was so complete, so absolute, she almost shivered.

  “Yeah,” he finally said, continuing to have eyes only for her, while patrons of the ice-cream parlor came and went past their table and Freddy slapped his hands on it as if playing a drum.

  Zoe held her breath, hoping against hope that Linc was ready to express his personal feelings, to perhaps say something romantic. Judging by his fond expression, it was certainly a possibility.

  She was left guessing what he had meant when he stared into her wide eyes, smiled and quietly said, “Wonderful.”

  If they had not been surrounded by a crowd and accompanied by her lovable but nosy child, she might have asked for clarification.

  Oh, sure, and have Linc tell me he was talking about the ice cream? No way. There was no reason to chance making a fool of herself. There would be plenty of time to stick her foot in her mouth again, as she had when she’d mentioned marriage and scared him silly. After all, they hadn’t even dated, let alone admitted serious intentions.

  Except that we’ve already spent more hours together than some couples have managed after months of dating, particularly those in the military, she added to herself. It was possible to fall in love, even when a significant other was stationed half a world away, wasn’t it?

  Suppose that was Linc’s problem? Suppose the beautiful woman who he’d admitted had betrayed him still held a place in his heart? Could his reticence be caused by that? Did Zoe have a rival who had achieved special status merely because she was unattainable?

  Further thought led her to decide against that theory. Linc was a patriot, a straight shooter, an honorable man who would never be able to forgive someone who had betrayed his comrades-in-arms and threatened the well-being of his homeland.

  That thought led her directly to John Flint. She had revealed his treason as soon as she’d learned of it. Was that enough for Linc to see her as the red-blooded American that she was? Or did he paint her with the same brush of evil that some of her fellow airmen had?

  Chagrined, Zoe almost wished Linc’s hang-up, if he had one, would be her first marriage, because that was over. John Flint was no more. Her familial connection to her brother, however, would never go away, and she wondered if her reputation would always be tied to his, however tenuously.

  Deciding to redirect her own thoughts and Linc’s, Zoe asked a question she thought was fairly innocuous. “What’s the latest on that pesky blogger? Any success finding him?”

  Her companion’s negative expression surprised her. She frowned. “What are you not telling me?”

  Linc shook his head. “Not important.”

  “It is if it bothers you,” she countered.

  “I take it you haven’t looked.” Using his phone to open to the web, Linc passed it to her. “See for yourself.”

  Zoe peered at the small screen. “This blames everything Boyd did on me. How dare they!”

  “Doesn’t matter. We know you’re innocent.”

  “We? You and I, maybe, but not the rest of the base.” She passed the phone back to Linc. “I’ve seen enough.”

  “Okay. Sorry, but you did ask.” Zoe saw him briefly glance at the screen before raising it to read more carefully.

  “What’s the matter? More accusations?”

  “Not exactly. I paged down, hoping someone would defend you, and look what I found.”

  She leaned closer to read with him, head to head, and almost gasped. Someone had posted a rebuttal, all right. It read “Leave Baby Sister alone. Or else.”

  NINETEEN

  By the time he had contacted headquarters and reported what he’d seen on the anonymous blog, Linc was fighting a terrible headache, probably partially due to his injury. He hadn’t intended to tell Zoe he felt ill, but she must have sensed something off about him.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked for the third time when they got to her apartment.

  “I told you I’m fine.” The rebuttal came out stronger than he had wanted. “Sorry.”

  “See? That’s what I mean. You’re not acting like your normal self.”

  Arching a brow, he immediately regretted it because the pain intensified and he winced. “Oh, yeah?”

  “Yeah.” She came back from her kitchen with a glass of water and painkillers. “I’m not giving you aspirin in case your head damage is worse than the doctors thought. Take these and maybe your mood will improve.”

  Reluctantly, he did. “Thanks. I do have a slight headache.”

  “It’s more than slight, but I won’t argue as long as you take care of yourself.”

  Nodding carefully, Linc got to his feet. Star stirred, lifted her head, then relaxed again and closed her eyes as if planning to spend the night.

  “I probably should go,” Linc said.

  “Not on your life.” Zoe was adamant. “Your relief is already parked out front. You’re staying right here with me and Freddy so I can watch you for signs of a serious head injury.”

  “You’re a doctor now?”

  “Nope. A mother. We come with built-in sensitivity training. One look at you and I knew you felt rotten.”

  “I should be out looking for the RRK, not resting.”

  “Look.” Facing him, Zoe placed a hand on his forearm. “I feel responsible for what happened to your head. And for what happened to Star the time before. You won’t gain anything by chasing a mystery blogger’s invisible fan in the middle of the night, even if he did sound like the RRK. Star can stay right where she is, and I’ve promised Freddy he can bring his blanket and pillow in here to camp out with the two of you. He’s gone to pick out a stuffed animal to share with Star, too.”

  “Suppose there’s a problem during the night?”

  “With Security Forces visible outside and Star in here, I strongly doubt anybody will try anything. But I can tell Freddy that if the dog barks or growls, he has to come get me right away. He loves to have important jobs, so I’m sure he’ll follow orders.”

  “Maybe I will rest here for a little while,” Linc said. He sank onto the overstuffed sofa and laid his head back. “I am feeling pretty lousy.”

  “You may be hungry. All we had this afternoon was ice cream and cold pizza. How would you like some soup? I have vegetable and chicken noodle.”

  Freddy skipped into the room, his pudgy arms loaded with stuffed animals. “I love chicken noodle.”

  “Okay,” Zoe said. “You guys make yourselves comfortable and I’ll go open a can.”

  “Make sure the back door is locked,” Linc called after her. He didn’t hear a clear reply, but her tone was enough for him to tell she wasn’t impressed with his suggestion. That was okay. He knew she’d already checked all the locks and was perfectly capable of taking care of such details. Habit and her enemy’s efforts at making her look unstable had spurred him to speak up.

  Freddy was standing at his feet, apparently waiting for an invitation to join him, so Linc patted the adjoining sofa cushion. “C’mon up, kid. And bring your friends.”

  Scrambling up with a small assist from Linc, the boy dumped his armload of toys in a cascade of synthetic fur.

  Linc smiled. “Who all have we got here?”

  “That’s puppy one.” He chose another. “This is puppy two.”

  Linc picked up a similar toy. “Is this puppy three?”

  Freddy giggled. “No, Sergeant Linc. That’s a kitty.”

  “Oh, sorry. My mistake.”

  “You can have her to sleep with if you want,” Freddy offered. “She’s a really good kitty. My favorite.”
/>   “Thank you.” Linc couldn’t help his growing smile. Freddy had not only presented him with a stuffed animal, he’d given his best. “That’s very nice of you.”

  “You’re welcome. I like you.”

  He ruffled the child’s soft hair. “I like you, too.”

  “You like my mama?”

  “Sure.”

  Apparently satisfied, the boy wiggled around, pushing aside toys, until he was snuggled tight against Linc’s side and partially tucked beneath his arm. Then he yawned so loudly Star looked up to check on them.

  “You go to sleep,” Linc said. “I’m tired, too.”

  “Uh-huh. ’Night.”

  Leaning over slightly, despite the throbbing in his temples, Linc placed a kiss on the top of Freddy’s head. “Good night, buddy.”

  When the boy snuggled even closer, laid a small arm part way across his ribs and whispered, “I love you,” Linc was stunned. All his life he’d believed he disliked children, yet this one had punched a Texas-size hole in his opinion—and in his heart.

  Leaning his head back again, Linc replied softly, “I love you, too, Freddy.”

  * * *

  Zoe heated the soup then peeked in to ask Freddy and Linc if they wanted theirs in bowls at the table or in mugs they could sip from on the sofa. But she found them asleep. So was Star, who was snoring loudly.

  Hesitant to disturb them, she gazed fondly at the scene of familial bliss. The only thing missing was her. In Zoe’s eyes, she belonged on the opposite side of Linc, also snuggled close, to share in the perfect peace and trust her son was enjoying.

  Instead, she returned to the kitchen and took the pot of soup off the stove. It would keep. So would her unacceptable dreams and wishes. Even if Linc did seem to be showing affection toward Freddy, she had to assume that feeling didn’t extend to her. She was a job, a duty and an often-unpleasant one. If Linc and his fellow Security Forces members weren’t after Boyd, they were chasing other bad guys, which had made her formerly stable life the subject of their ongoing investigations. Of course, Linc was here. Like the security team parked out in the street, he was actually working. And so was Star.

  Zoe plopped down in a kitchen chair, elbows on the table, head in her hands, and let her mind drift like a plane in a holding pattern—until it touched down on solid ground and came to a screeching halt. What was that noise? Was Freddy ready to be put to bed? Had Linc stirred because he was unwell?

  Rising as silently as possible, she tiptoed to the doorway to check on her guests. Star was the only one paying attention. Her head was raised, her ears forward, her nostrils twitching, seeking information available only to her keen canine senses.

  Zoe was now certain that the sound she’d heard hadn’t come from any of them. So what had disturbed her? She turned. Started back to the table. And spotted a piece of folded paper lying on the floor just inside her back door.

  Eyes wide, she froze. How had someone bypassed the guard outside and got this close? Zoe stared at the note as if it were an angry Texas diamondback poised to strike. It may as well have been, given the effect it was having on her.

  Trembling, she studied the double-locked door. Everything was intact. No one had tried to get in. But they had made it far enough to shake her world to its foundation.

  She took a step closer and started to bend and reach for the piece of paper. But she stopped and made the kind of judgment a prey animal makes. The door was solid enough to deter rapid entry but probably not thick enough to stop a bullet. Maybe whoever had left that paper was still out there, gun aimed and hammer cocked, waiting for her to make a noise that would tell them it was time to act. To fire.

  Trying to slow her rapid breathing, Zoe thought about grabbing a broom to retrieve the note by dragging it to her. Instead, she crouched and duckwalked out of the kitchen, not straightening until she was almost to the sofa. A light touch on Linc’s arm brought him instantly awake and ready for battle.

  “It’s just me,” she said, hands raised to deflect any instinctive efforts at self-defense.

  “What’s the matter?” He was scrubbing one hand over his face while the other palm rested on his sidearm.

  “A note,” Zoe whispered. “Somebody just shoved it under the back door and I didn’t know what to do.”

  Linc immediately radioed the situation to the guard stationed outside, then commanded Star to watch the boy and made his way to the kitchen with Zoe.

  She pointed. “There. See?”

  The paper crackled when Linc picked it up. They heard movement on the deck. A board creaked. Something slid across the wood. A boot? A step?

  Linc drew his gun. Frozen in place, they waited and listened for more.

  A sharp knock and an all-clear call from the other guard came in seconds. It was only then that Zoe realized she’d been holding her breath.

  TWENTY

  Linc unfolded the note, holding it by the outer corners to preserve prints or other trace evidence. He actually considered keeping its contents from Zoe but decided she’d be safer if he kept her in the loop. He cleared his throat. “Somebody wants to meet with you tonight at the airfield.”

  “Who? Why?”

  Nothing convinced him the single letter B signature was genuine or significant, so he said, “Doesn’t matter. You’re not going.”

  “Suppose it’s my stalker. Or better yet, the RRK. You could set a trap and this would all be over.”

  “That’s unacceptable.”

  “To you, maybe. Check with your superiors. They might have a different opinion. I’m not some clueless civilian. I’m air force, too, you know.”

  He pulled out his cell phone and photographed the note, then dialed Captain Blackwood’s private number. “Colson here. I’ve just emailed you a note that was left at the Sullivan apartment, and I suggest our teams rendezvous at the airfield. Somebody is trying to lure Sergeant Sullivan out there and is telling her to come at 2200 hours.”

  “I see that. And I concur. Can she find a babysitter at this late hour?”

  “She doesn’t need to go,” Linc countered.

  “I think she does. We’ll keep a close eye on her, but without her presence on scene, we’ll have a slim chance of drawing out her stalker—or anybody else.”

  “But, sir—”

  “No buts. I got the lab report on that piece of cloth your dog bit off at the day care. It came from a pair of Jim Ahern’s coveralls. I was going to arrange to pick him up for questioning in the morning, but since this situation has come up, we may as well move in now.”

  “You think he’s the one who sent this note?” Linc felt tension knotting his muscles.

  “Who else could it be?”

  “You got word about the blog posting, right?”

  Blackwood huffed. “I did. It means nothing. Anybody could have written it, just like anybody could have signed your note with a B.”

  “You don’t think it was Boyd Sullivan, then?”

  “Not if he’s as savvy as we think. Report to headquarters as soon as you find someone to watch the boy, or bring him with you if you can’t. We’ll assign an on-duty airman to babysit for as long as it takes to complete this operation.”

  “Yes, sir.” Linc looked to Zoe and set his jaw. “Get your ABU and boots on. You’re going with me.”

  * * *

  Until Zoe was assured Freddy would be well cared for and fully protected by Security Forces, she was uncooperative. She didn’t care how hard to handle she was; nobody was going to harm her little boy. Not on her watch.

  They ended up placing Freddy within the K-9 unit, where he happily fell back to sleep in the company of a cuddly half-grown pup and a couple of armed night watchmen.

  Linc handed her a Kevlar vest. “Put this on.”

  “Do you really think I’ll need combat armor?”

  “I’d r
ather you had it, okay? I let you come tonight, so humor me.”

  Zoe laughed. “You let me? Ha! I heard you talking to your captain. The only reason I’m here is for bait.”

  “Assistance.”

  “Okay, call it what you will. You know I volunteered to help regardless, so let’s get this show on the road.”

  She allowed Linc to guide her as far as the exit, then struck out for his SUV on her own. Nobody was going to have reason to claim she was being coerced. Not if she had any say about it. Nor were they going to get away with staking her out like a hunk of dinner on a hungry tiger’s jungle trail. She was in this up to her eyeballs and intended to participate to the best of her ability just as she did with every task she was assigned.

  Yes, she was nervous. And, yes, she realized she was putting herself in harm’s way. But as long as she was close to Linc Colson and Star, she felt safe enough to hold it together. If she’d been in the navy, she’d have called him her anchor.

  * * *

  The CAFB airfield was so well lit there wasn’t a lot of difference between night and day except for swirling clouds of orange dust that dimmed the beams cast by overhead vapor lights. Captain Blackwood’s attack plan had placed hidden forces in two concentric circles with Linc and Star taking point. Zoe was ordered to wait in his vehicle, out of the substantial wind, until called for.

  Linc realized he was fighting more than one battle and struggled to concentrate on the task at hand while his heart and mind remained with Zoe. How could she purposely endanger herself like this? She’d seemed so sensible, so clever to begin with.

  The only thing that helped him cope was knowing that Captain Blackwood had already sent men to take Jim Ahern into custody at his home. Once they reported success, there would be far less to worry about. That was good, because right now Linc was pretty distracted despite his vow to remain totally professional.

  “Which increases the danger, because I’m not thinking straight,” he murmured. That was bad. If he did nothing more tonight, he must somehow set aside his angst before it got him, or somebody else, killed.